Charlie Cox has really settled into his role as Daredevil in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and while Daredevil: Born Again will end after three seasons, there is a chance Cox will be back as Daredevil in the future. Cox has been in several projects before he ever got into the MCU, and some of his movies have been great. This includes roles in movies like The Theory of Everything and Stardust, as well as the TV series Boardwalk Empire, where Cox had one of the main roles as Owen Sleater. However, it was Stardust that really gave Cox his breakout role, and he thought he was going to get fired from the movie.
Stardust is a 2007 fantasy movie directed by X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman. The movie stars Cox as Tristan, a young man who vows to retrieve a fallen star in return for the hand of his beloved Victoria in marriage. The film received positive reviews, was a modest success overseas, and won a Hugo Award.
Charlie Cox Enjoyed His Breakout in Stardust
Before Stardust, Charlie Cox had been appearing in movies and TV shows for five years, with his bigger earlier movies coming in the Shakespeare adaptation The Merchant of Venice in 2004 and the Heath Ledger romantic drama Casanova. Cox then picked up the role in Matthew Vaughn’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel Stardust, and Cox said he was actually one of the first names added to the cast. The story is a fairy tale at heart, with young Tristan Thorn trying to recover a falling star to win over the love of his life, Victoria Forester (Sienna Miller).
There were two problems with this. First, Victoria clearly was a little too materialistic for the idealistic Tristan. Second, witches are looking for the fallen star, which has taken the form of Yvaine (Claire Danes), and this star holds the magic to recover their youth and replenish their powers. When Tristan finds Yvaine, he wants to return her to Victoria, but he soon finds himself falling for Yvaine instead, and they go on the run to escape the witches. Along the way, they meet a group of pirates in a flying ship, led by Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro).
Cox held his own against this impressive cast and received critical praise for his performance. The movie made $137.5 million worldwide on a $70 million budget, but the domestic totals were much lower. However, critical reviews were positive, with a 77% Rotten Tomatoes score and a Certified Fresh rating. The audience score was even better, at 86% fresh. The critical consensus said Stardust was “a faithful interpretation that captures the spirit of whimsy, action, and off-kilter humor of Neil Gaiman” that offers a “fantastical experience.”
The movie also received awards recognition, winning the 2008 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation – Long Form, the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Wide Release, and three 34th Annual Saturn Awards nominations, including Best Fantasy Film, Best Supporting Actress (Pfeiffer), and Best Costume.
Charlie Cox Said He Thought He Would Get Fired from Stardust
Charlie Cox has said in interviews that he was one of the first people signed to star in Stardust, and at first, this was a “Charlie Cox” movie. By the time all was said and done, he was one of the least-known actors in the movie, something he said made him think he was going to get fired when bigger and bigger names began to sign on to the film. In an interview with Josh Horowitz, Cox said that names like Claire Danes, Rupert Everett, Peter O’Toole, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Robert De Niro made him fear for his job.
However, Cox had nothing to worry about. The best thing about Cox being an unknown at the time was that he was easily able to slide into the role as the hapless lovelorn hero. With Claire Danes as the fallen star, he was immediately paired with a very famous actress, and that made his plight as the underdog even better. With people like De Niro and Pfeiffer working around him, it did everything to increase the danger levels and helped the story. Cox joked he thought he would be fired, but the surrounding cast only helped to elevate his performance even more. Stardust is an underrated fantasy movie, and it helped turn Charlie Cox into a star.
What are your memories of Charlie Cox’s performance in Stardust? Let us know your thoughts on Cox’s career in the comments below.
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